Mokgoro not the right man for the job
21 May 2019
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is not surprised by the nomination of Premier Job Mokgoro, because almost a year ago he was pulled from retirement and was also used as a neutraliser within the ANC faction fights – with not much success.
It is no secret that Premier Mokgoro was a compromise candidate, who has been tasked by Luthuli House to balance the interests of two opposing factions. One faction is led by Cyril Ramaphosa’s and another faction is led by a friend of Jacob Zuma and the Guptas, Supra Maphumulo. In all of this the people do not come first.
Mokgoro has a few skeletons of his own linking him to the shady game breeding deal in the province. The DA might gain legal opinion to implement the decision of the parliamentary portfolio committee on environmental affairs where it was revealed that at least two signatures and a letter addressed to Job Mokgoro link the North West premier to the 2015 multimillion-rand game donation.
Mokgoro was the chairperson of the North West Parks Board when the donation was concluded in 2016.
The donation of more than 200 animals – including white rhinos, buffalo, nyalas and sables – worth more than R100 million was first red-flagged by the Auditor-General.
The committee has found that the donation was not done according to the book and recommended its reversal. This has not happened to date.
It is clear that the ANC is more divided than ever over who the Premier should be – another clear indication that they ANC does not serve the interest of the people but that of the ANC. North West has been the only province battling to find consensus on who the newly elected Premier should be.
North West Premier Job Mokgoro’s since then has shown that he will diligently serve the failing ANC and will always put party politics above the need and plight of our communities oppressed by poverty and unemployment.
Nothing has changed since Premier Mokgoro took over from disgraced former Premier, Supra Mahumapelo.
From the onset we stated that Mokgoro would have to start by rooting out the culture of corruption, which has become a common and acceptable at all levels of government in North West and undermined efforts to build a working province.
He failed to table any strategy geared towards fixing the broken provincial health system; adopt strategies that could attract investment in order to build a growing and dynamic economy that guarantees access to real, long-term jobs, especially for the youth; working with SAPS to ensure communities are kept safe and order restored; and ensure that targets for the building of houses are met and accelerate the distribution of title deeds.
Mokgoro has utilised his time to try and sort out the factionalised internal politics of the failing ANC.
Mokgoro and his cabinet are not serious about turning around the province. Corrupt officials continue in their positions without any consequence management.
If he had a desire to serve and protect the interests of the people, he would get rid of all the corrupt and questionable MECs.
Several forensic reports name the culprits of poor and corrupt governance we have come to associate with the failing ANC, yet Mokgoro has not made any attempt to table any of the reports or to act on the recommendations in the reports.
North West municipalities are drowning in sewage, households suffer without reliable water and electricity supply, roads infrastructure is in total collapse while there are long lines at hospitals and clinics to access medicines and surgeries.
The reality is that Mokgoro is a figurehead who failed to distinguish himself as a leader of substance, rather he is a peace-keeper between the ANC factions.
Where we govern, we have a track record of clean governance and effective service delivery. Based on our policies and our track record in government, it is now, more clear, than ever that it is only the DA that can bring change that builds One South Africa for all.
Issued by Joe McGluwa, DA North West Leader, 21 May 2019
